In the nutrition world, there is a saying: "There are no bad foods, only unbalanced diets." Scientific and reasonable pairing is one of the keys to a "good diet." The Life Times interviewed Professor Li Huiming from the Department of Nutrition, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, and Dr. Rui Lili from the Department of Food and Nutrition, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, to summarize the following healthy pairing ratios for your reference.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
3:4:3
As the saying goes, "Eat a good breakfast, a full lunch, and a light dinner." Although the total amount of food each person eats may vary, the proportional distribution can be referenced as 3:4:3. This generally means that the energy from breakfast, lunch, and dinner should account for 30%, 40%, and 30% of the total daily energy, respectively.
Breakfast should account for 30% of the daily energy because the body has just woken up, appetite is low, and the digestive system is in a "warm-up" state. However, it is crucial to ensure adequate nutrition to provide the energy needed for work and study in the morning. The best breakfast combination includes starchy foods, high-quality protein foods, fruits and vegetables rich in dietary fiber and vitamin C, and nuts. Lunch can be eaten in a larger amount because people are more active during the day and have higher energy consumption. Dinner should be lighter because people are relatively less active after dinner, with lower energy needs, and eating until about 70% full is also beneficial for sleep.
It is worth noting that this is the energy ratio for the three meals of the day, not the quantity ratio. For example, if you eat two meat buns (about 100g) for breakfast, a bowl of sweet potato and corn porridge (about 100g), and an apple in the morning; a bowl of Babao rice (about 150g), one meat dish, and one vegetable dish for lunch; and one whole grain bun or steamed corn bread, a bowl of millet porridge, and a serving of mixed tofu or black fungus with onion for dinner, you can roughly achieve the 3:4:3 energy distribution ratio. Of course, this ratio is not fixed and can be adjusted according to different energy needs. For instance, people who work late at night may eat a bit more for dinner.
Fish, Meat, Eggs
2:2:1
Among meats, the effects on the human body can also differ. A latest research study from the United States shows that eating more fish can lead to a larger brain volume, thus providing better prevention against cognitive disorders and other diseases. Another large-scale authoritative survey shows that long-term and high consumption of red meat increases the risk of death from heart disease and cancer, while a diet rich in white meat is associated with a lower risk of death.
According to the Chinese Nutrition Society's recommendations, each person should consume 125-225 grams of animal foods such as fish, poultry, meat, and eggs daily. This includes 50-75 grams of livestock and poultry meat, 50-100 grams of fish and shellfish, and 25-50 grams of eggs. The specific intake can be flexibly adjusted, but the general ratio can be referenced as a fish, meat, and egg combination of 2:2:1, while also adhering to the general proportions of various food groups in the Dietary Pagoda over the long term.
It may be difficult for most families to eat fish every day. You can change this to eating fish 2-3 times a week, with each portion being 150-200 grams. Normally, one should try to eat more white meat (such as poultry and fish) and less red meat (such as pork, beef, lamb, etc.). Beef and lamb can be eaten once a week, and meat should ideally be consumed at breakfast or lunch. Additionally, it is best for a healthy person to eat one egg per day. For people with abnormal blood lipids or obesity, it is recommended to eat 2-4 eggs per week. The healthiest way to eat eggs is boiled, preferably in the morning or at noon, to avoid excessive cholesterol intake at night.
Meat and Vegetables
1:4
Many people only love dishes like chicken, duck, fish, and meat. Although these animal fats are rich in protein and delicious, excessive intake increases the burden on the liver and kidneys, leading to high uric acid, gout, obesity, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In contrast, vegetarian dishes like vegetables and mushrooms can supplement the body with rich dietary fiber and certain water-soluble vitamins, compensating for the high levels of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol in meat dishes.
The Chinese Resident Balanced Dietary Pagoda recommends eating 400-500 grams of vegetables and 125-200 grams of animal foods such as fish, poultry, meat, and eggs daily. Therefore, the meat-to-vegetable ratio for all meals of the day can be arranged at roughly 1:3 or 1:4. For example, if you cook four dishes for a meal, you can make one meat dish, one tofu dish, and two vegetable dishes. When eating, it is best to take one bite of meat followed by three bites of vegetables.
Staple Foods: Refined and Whole Grains
1:3
Food diversity is a fundamental requirement for a balanced diet, and staple foods should also be varied, including various grains and legumes. For an adult with low physical activity, 250-400 grams of staple foods daily can meet the body's needs. Young people and those with high labor intensity require more energy and should eat more staple foods; the elderly and those with low activity levels need less energy and can eat less. The "Chinese Residents' Dietary Guidelines 2007" recommends that staple foods should be a combination of refined and whole grains, with 50-100 grams (1-2 liang, dry weight) of whole grains per day. This means that about 1/4 to 1/3 of the daily staple foods should be whole grains, or you can eat whole grains twice a week.
Whole grains contain more dietary fiber and have a certain preventive effect on chronic diseases such as obesity, hypertension, and heart disease. However, the elderly and children should control their intake of whole grains, especially infants and young children whose digestive systems are not fully developed, who should be particularly cautious.
It should be reminded that tubers such as sweet potatoes and potatoes can partially replace staple grains. For example, if you eat tubers for lunch, you should reduce your intake of rice or steamed buns; if you eat a piece of sweet potato (or yam, taro, potato, etc.) of about 100g for dinner, you can skip the staple food.
Vegetables and Fruits
2:1
As is well known, eating more vegetables and fruits is greatly beneficial to our health. Multiple studies have confirmed that eating more vegetables and fruits can prevent cancer and effectively reduce the risk of early death.
Each person should eat 300-500 grams of vegetables and 200-400 grams of fruits daily, which also means a ratio of 2:1 between the two is appropriate. The variety of vegetables is rich. The general principle for selection is to eat more bud, leaf, and stem vegetables (such as spinach, yellow chives, small greens, cabbage hearts, etc.) in spring and autumn, accounting for about 70%-80% of vegetables; and eat more fruit and tuber vegetables such as radishes, potatoes, onions, etc., in autumn and winter, accounting for over 60% of vegetables. It is best to eat some mushrooms daily, which should generally account for 10%-20% of the total vegetable intake for the day. Green leafy vegetables should maintain over 50% of the daily vegetable intake. Additionally, it is best to choose seasonal and local produce. Relatively speaking, dark-colored vegetables, such as deep red chili peppers and dark green spinach, are more nutritious than light-colored vegetables. It is also best to eat 3-4 different types of fruits daily.
Steaming/Boiling and Stir-frying
2:1
Cold dishes, steaming, boiling, roasting, pan-frying, and deep-frying—the diverse cooking methods create the rich cuisine of China. After cooking, the nutritional value of ingredients changes, and different ingredients are best suited for different cooking methods. Overall, steaming and boiling are healthier than stir-frying because they result in less nutrient loss and avoid high temperatures and excessive oil. It is recommended to maintain a ratio of 2:1 for steaming/boiling to stir-frying. Deep-frying should be avoided as much as possible; if consumed, no more than 3 times a week, and preferably at lunch.
It is best to make a cold dish for every meal, as cold dishes largely retain the vitamins and minerals in vegetables, as well as various active health-promoting factors. In fact, almost every vegetable can be made into a cold dish. Those that cannot be eaten raw can be blanched first (like shredded potatoes) and then mixed. You can slice or shred the vegetables, blanch them in boiling water for one minute, let them cool naturally, and then mix them.